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Dance Department, University of Tsukuba
The University of Tsukuba is a national university located in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, known for its wide range of academic fields.
Originally established in 1872 as the Tokyo University of Education, it was re-founded in 1973 as a university based on the philosophy of an “open university.” Since then, it has demonstrated leadership as a creative, distinctive, and internationally oriented hub of knowledge.
The Dance Department belongs to the School of Physical Education, Health and Sport Sciences. Its current full-time faculty consists of three members: Yumi Terayama (Developmental Mechanisms and the Body Works), Motoko Hirayama (Choreography, Contemporary Dance), and Sena Saito (Dance Education). Although small, admitting only 4–5 students per academic year, the department has produced graduates who go on to become dancers, choreographers, dance studio instructors, schoolteachers, and researchers, all of whom contribute significantly to the promotion and development of Japan’s dance culture.
The University of Tsukuba’s Dance Club, part of the Physical Education and Sports Bureau, was founded in 1955 and will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2025. This historic organization consists of about 30 students from diverse backgrounds—including ballet, modern dance, jazz dance, and cheerleading. The club operates independently under the slogan of expanding the possibilities of physical expression and creating new dance forms.
At the All Japan Dance Festival, where student-created works are showcased, the Dance Club has achieved remarkable success, winning the highest honor—the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award—five times in the past decade.
